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African Beauty Secrets Through The Ages

As far as we’re concerned, Africa is the most beautiful continent on the planet. From our wildlife to our landscape and even our weather, Africa has the ability to take your breath away and leave you in awe. But the real secret to African beauty isn’t in the rocks or the rhinos; it’s found in our diverse heritage of cultures and peoples who live, love, and showcase beauty in their own uniquely African ways.

In keeping with our March “Beauty Secrets” theme, we wanted to explore the often forgotten history of loveliness on this beautiful continent. These are just some of the many tips, tricks and beauty hacks that peoples of Africa have used over the centuries to make their True Beauty Shine (and maybe you’ll have some of your own to share by the end of the article).

Body Care Fit For A Queen

Before modern times gave us bubble baths, body washes and refreshing shower gels, a woman would have to go the extra mile if she wanted to pamper herself as much as she deserved.

As the last pharaoh of Egypt and history’s most famously beautiful woman, Cleopatra was not the sort of woman who would neglect caring for herself. She knew that to rule her North African nation with the wit for which she was known, she would have to take care of herself. Cleopatra’s skin was kept supple and soft by indulging in baths of milk and honey. This pampering meant she was always refreshed and ready to face the challenges of the day.

Luckily, the modern woman doesn’t have to have 700 donkeys on hand, as Cleopatra reportedly kept to fill her bath with milk. Of course, if you want to channel your own inner Cleopatra, our Pure Milk & Honey Hand Cream is perfect for the job, and is one of many quality body care products on special this month.

Fruity For Skincare

There’s a reason that argan oil is an essential ingredient in so many of our body and skincare products: it works!

Taken from the fruit of the Moroccan argan tree, argan oil was discovered long ago to be exceptionally good for the skin. One of the many reasons that African women have long been known for their smooth, glowing, and beautiful skin is the application of this little African treasure. Being rich in anti-oxidants, argan oil nourishes the skin while protect it from the rays of the hot African sun, making it a natural beauty solution. The women of Morocco would mix this oil with water and apply it to their skin as a moisturiser and sunscreen, sometimes distilling it in large tubs of water for truly invigorating, full-body refreshing baths.

With the challenges facing the modern woman’s skin, we need a little something extra to keep our healthy glow going. Environmental pollution was not something that the Berber women of Morocco had to deal with, but smog and smoke clog the pores and damage skin. With SPF 15-20, Avroy Shlain’s relaunched range of Daily Skincare products take the sunscreen factor into account, but they are also formulated to protect the skin against pollution – a problem our African ancestors did not have to contend with.  Find them on special in our March brochure.

The Butter Of Youth

Used for centuries by the people of Central and West Africa, shea butter – extracted from the nut of the African shea tree – has powerful skin-smoothing properties; so much so that it has apparently been commonly used by pregnant African women to reduce stretch marks. Not only that, but being an anti-inflammatory packed with anti-oxidants, it can also serve both to nourish skin and to reduce the signs of ageing.

This anti-ageing effect is why shea butter is a key ingredient in our CRT Moisturising Cream Cleaner (on special in the March brochure) as well as in many of the products in our body care range.

Avroy Shlain & You

Avroy Shlain is your African partner in pampering. We celebrate what it means to be Beautifully African – no matter your shape or shade – and, above all, we celebrate you, the true treasures of this continent. We’ve only touched on the surface of Africa’s beauty traditions in this article and, as with all secrets, the history is hard to verify. We invite you to continue the conversation and add to the tradition on our Instagram and Facebook pages; share the tips, tricks and beauty hacks that make you feel like the Beautifully African king or queen that you are!

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